A variety of known activities produce as a by-product discharge waters that must be disposed of in an environmentally safe and acceptable fashion. Often these discharge waters must be processed in such a manner wherein they can be utilized for other uses, such as irrigation, or simply released into a proximate stream or river. It may be noted that the discharge waters with which the present invention may be employed are to be broadly defined, and may certainly originate from natural sources, man-made sources, or a combination of both.
An interesting example wherein discharge waters are produced as a side product that may be processed and conditioned by the present invention may be found in coal-bed methane drilling. The United States coal-bed methane (CBM) industry is developing at a rapid pace filling a significant need for methane (natural gas). Very often the pockets of methane are trapped in deep coal seams by water in the coal. Drilling into a coal seam results in a releasing to the surface of the CBM water, freeing the methane for collection and subsequent distribution. The CBM water, which may be additionally termed ‘discharge water’ or ‘influent water’, is typically characterized as being high in sodium, soluble salts, and/or other cations. For example, sodium concentrations can often be in excess of 1000 mg/l. In addition, the ratio of sodium to calcium and or magnesium, which is defined as the Sodium Adsorption Ration (SAR) is often in excess of 30 or more. Another measure of interest is electrical conductance (EC), which for CBM discharge waters may exceed 4500 micromhos/l. Each of these levels is considered quite high, and in each case will often prevent a direct and legal releasing of the discharge water into the environment. A simple releasing of these waters is typically not permitted by Federal and or State regulations for several reasons. First, waters with high concentrations of soluble salts are toxic to many plants. Additionally, sodium causes the dispersing of clay, which may cause top soil to be eroded (e.g., by wind and rain), and also reduces water and air permeability of soils.
Accordingly, at the present time industry and regulatory agencies are searching for means and methods for cost-effectively processing and conditioning waters, such as CBM discharge waters. There is clearly a need for new and improved systems and associated methods for conditioning waters such as CBM discharge waters that are high in sodium, soluble salts, and other cations, in a relatively simple and cost effective manner. The conditioned ‘output water’ that flows from systems employing the present invention will preferably be of such a quality that the water can be used for purposes such as irrigation and live stock watering, or alternately simply released into the environment (e.g., into a proximate stream or river). Importantly, it may be noted that the discharge water to be conditioned in accordance with the present invention will be termed ‘influent water’, which enters and flows through an embodiment of the present invention for conditioning purposes.
A number of other additional characteristics, advantages, and or associated novel features of the present invention, will become clear from the description and figures provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. In particular, the embodiments included and described, have been chosen in order to best explain the principles, features, and characteristics of the invention, and its practical application, to thereby enable skilled persons to best utilize the invention and a wide variety of embodiments providable that are based on these principles, features, and characteristics. Accordingly, all equivalent variations possible are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.